Now playing in the Heikoff Giant Dome Theater at the Fleet Science Center.
Weather is one of the most dynamic forces shaping our planet, but now it's more extreme and complex than ever. National Geographic's Extreme Weather takes us to the edge of 300-...

A Beautiful Planet is a breathtaking portrait of Earth from space, providing a unique perspective and increased understanding of our planet and galaxy as never seen before.
Narrated by Academy Award winner Jennifer Lawrence
Directed by Toni Myers...

The giant screen film National Parks Adventure takes audiences on the ultimate off-trail adventure into the nation's awe-inspiring great outdoors and untamed wilderness. Moviegoers will soar over red rock canyons, hurtle down steep mountain peaks and...

Explore the Fleet's classic collection of hands-on science exhibits, guaranteed to engage your mind and appeal to your senses. Located in the Fleet's Main Gallery, these interactive science exhibits may surprise you with new discoveries about the world...

The Fit-a-Brick Build Zone is a hands-on space where LEGO lovers can explore their creativity and build their own creations with LEGO bricks or LEGO DUPLO blocks. Conceived by Fleet Science Center staff as a companion to The Art of the Brick exhibition,...

The World's Largest Display of LEGO® Art Made Out of Millions of LEGO Bricks

Purchase your tickets now!
Members click here!
About the Exhibition
Named one of CNN's Top Ten "Global Must-See Exhibitions," The Art of the Brick is a critically acclaimed collection of inspiring artworks made exclusively from one of the most...

Young Scientists is a hands-on preschool science program offered by the Fleet Science Center. This program provides informal learning experiences that support and enhance exploration, create excitement and facilitate scientific discoveries.
The program...

Stop by on Saturdays to play, innovate and solve problems with other curious minds in the Tinkerers’ Club, led by our in-house inventors. Take your invention home and share your creation and stories with friends. Supplies are limited. Advance...

Each year the Fleet Science Center provides five local elementary schools with an after-school STEM club for girls, called SciTech. This program is geared towards building STEM confidence and literacy with engaging hands-on projects. The largest of...

The third Saturday of every month, early access to galleries 9-10 a.m. IMAX showing at 10 a.m.
The Fleet invites the Autism Spectrum Community to enjoy our museum through this special opportunity. Adults and families with children with autism can enjoy...

Looking for something exciting, fun and educational this winter break? The Fleet Science Center is offering two weeks of full-day science fun this winter! Sign up for a single day or enroll for multiple days!
Pricing:
Non-Members- $60
Members- $55...

The first Monday of every month, seniors 65 and better can enjoy the Science Center exhibits, a show in the Heikoff Giant Dome Theater and a lecture on the quietest day of the month for only $8! No coupons or additional discounts are accepted. The Fleet'...

As a thank you to San Diego County residents, the Fleet offers Residents’ Free Day on the first Tuesday of each month.
Free Gallery Admission
Free gallery admission is offered to San Diego city and county residents, local students (including college...

Join us on the first Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m. or 8:15 p.m. for a tour of the solar system narrated by the Fleet’s astronomer. Journey through the cosmos with us as we explore a new topic each month.
For optimal viewing, each show is limited to...

On the Fly features multiple daily performances by small-scale unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), complemented by interactive stations where visitors can create flying objects of their own and then test them out using wind tubes or a motorized airplane launcher. A digital media kiosk highlights current events involving unmanned flight technology and its uses.

“EXPLOR-O-RAMA ~

Get Your Hands On Science”

Our newest Main Gallery exhibition combines some of our all-time favorites with never-seen-before interactive exhibits from San Francisco’s Exploratorium. This collection features opportunities to explore mechanics, motion, math, hearing, electricity and many other interconnected areas of science— sometimes all at the same time! Look for new challenges with the Bicycle Wheel Gyro, Strobe Flower and Magnetic Wave Machine, and enjoy the return of popular favorites the Whisper Dishes, Tornado and Pedal Generator!

This exhibition has been funded in part by the County of San Diego

“NANO: Imagine and Discover a World You Can’t See!” is an interactive exhibition that engages family audiences with hands-on exhibits that present the basics of nanoscience and engineering, introduce some real-world applications and explore the societal and ethical implications of this new technology. “NANO” was created by the Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network (NISE Network) with support from the National Science Foundation.

Rocky Mountain Express

All aboard for a wonderful IMAX® giant screen experience by award-winning filmmaker Stephen Low, weaving together spectacular aerial cinematography, archival photographs and maps and the potent energy and rhythms of a live steam locomotive to immerse audiences in this remarkable story from the age of steam, for the ultimate in railway travel.

Rocky Mountain Express received top honors for Best Film and was awarded Best Film Short Subject and Best Cinematography by the Giant Screen Cinema Association (GSCA). Rocky Mountain Express propels audiences on a present-day steam train journey through the breathtaking vistas of the Canadian Rockies and relates the extraordinary story of the building of the nation’s first transcontinental railway. The completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) in 1885 ranks among the greatest engineering feats in history. Ride the rails along deep river canyons and over high mountain passes—discover some of the most beautiful and rugged landscapes on Earth, and join in the human drama and epic engineering that shaped a continent.

Flight of the Butterflies

The iconic monarch butterfly is a true marvel of nature. It weighs less than a penny, yet it makes one of the longest migrations on Earth across a continent, with pinpoint navigational accuracy, to a secluded place it has never been. Join the monarchs' perilous and extraordinary journey while following an intrepid scientist’s 40-year search to find the monarchs’ secret hideaway. Featuring breathtaking cinematography, an award-winning production team, a true scientific mystery, and hundreds of millions of real butterflies.

To The Arctic

An extraordinary journey to the top of the world, the ultimate tale of survival. A mother polar bear and her two seven-month-old cubs navigate the changing Arctic wilderness they call home. Captivating, adventurous and intimate footage of their struggle to survive in a frigid environment of melting ice, immense glaciers, spectacular waterfalls and majestic snow-bound peaks.

Cosmic Collisions is a spectacular immersive digital theater experience narrated by award-winning actor, director and producer Robert Redford. Featuring stunning images from space and breathtaking visualizations based on cutting-edge scientific data, it reveals the unimaginable, explosive encounters that shaped our solar system, changed the course of life on Earth and continue to transform our galaxy and dynamic universe. From subatomic particles to the largest galaxies, cosmic collisions are a universal force of nature. This new digital show offers an unprecedented and extraordinary view of the hypersonic events—both catastrophic and constructive—that have shaped our world and our universe.

Everest

August 9–15

The dramatic true story of a team of climbers who found hope, strength and triumph in the wake of tragedy on the world’s highest mountain.

Coral Reef Adventure

August 16–22

. Soar over the volcanic peaks of Tahiti, dive 350 feet to explore deep corals off the shore of Fiji and swim among hundreds of sharks in the canyons of the Rangiroa atoll.

Our Scintillating “Pas de Quatre” Is Stopping Visitors in Their Tracks, Eager to Watch the Quadricopters Dance—Then Explore Aerodynamics and Flight Technology in ON THE FLY: Technology Takes Off!

What:

“On the Fly” features multiple daily performances by small-scale unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), complemented by interactive stations where visitors can create flying objects of their own and test them out using wind tubes or a motorized airplane launcher. A digital media kiosk highlights current events involving unmanned flight technology and its uses.

The UAVs take flight in a temporary arena in the Main Gallery—hovering, moving, reassembling and reshaping the space. The entire performance is controlled by a laptop. This fascinating display highlights the unique characteristics of the UAVs and how they fly, using magnetometers, pressure sensors, ultrasound sensors, gyroscopes rotors and motors.

After enjoying the show, you can apply the principles of aerodynamics to create your own aircraft in “On the Fly.” The Fleet provides the supplies, and you provide your creativity. See how well your creation takes flight by testing it out in a wind tube or sending it into the sky with the motorized airplane launcher.

When:

N0w through December 31, 2013

Where:

Reuben H. Fleet Science Center

Cost:

Participation is included with gallery admission.

3)

Would You Like to Bring Your Knowledge of Mount Everest to New Heights? Explore a Coral Reef? Meander Down to the Fleet and Catch EVEREST (Through Thursday) and CORAL REEF ADVENTURE (Opening This Friday) on the Giant Dome Screen! All Part of The Fleet’s 40th Anniversary Fan Favorite Film Festival!

What:

Fleet Client Services manager Mary O'Brien thinks this week’s fave Everest is “One of the best movies made. Heart wrenching story but the determination to push life to the limit is amazing. A must see! I can't wait to see it again myself.” It’s the dramatic true story of a team of climbers who found hope, strength and triumph in the wake of tragedy on the world’s highest mountain. And we know Go-pro cameras accompany every extreme adventure these days, but try and imagine the immense IMAX cameras getting the footage for Coral Reef Adventure starting August 16. You will soar over the volcanic peaks of Tahiti, dive 350 feet to explore deep corals off the shore of Fiji and swim among hundreds of sharks in the canyons of the Rangiroa atoll.

The fan fave IMAX® films have proven to be a hit with Fleet audiences, and will continue to play twice a day* throughout the summer! Don’t miss the chance to catch your favorite films, including Lewis And Clark: Great Journey West (en Espanol, August 18, in English August 23–29) and Grand Canyon Adventure (August 30–September 5). Continuing to play are our popular IMAX films Flight of the Butterflies, To the Arctic and Rocky Mountain Express, and planetarium show Cosmic Collisions.

*In some cases, i.e., if we close early for a special event, a film may play only once during the day.

One of Our Favorite Pioneers, JIM THOMAS, Returns Sunday, August 25, to Sign Copies of His Book CORPS OF DISCOVERY! Come See Lewis And Clark: Great Journey West and Learn More About Them From an Expert!

What:

Corps of Discovery author Jim Thomas will sign copies before and after the film of hisinformative narrative about Lewis and Clark. The book is available in the North Star Science Store at the Fleet. Mr. Thomas, who makes his appearances in period clothing to set the atmosphere, is appearing in conjunction with the 40th Anniversary Fleet Fan Fave Film Festival presentation of Lewis & Clark: Great Journey West, which re-creates the journey that shaped a nation and explores the great hardships and incredible scenery the explorers encountered. Mr. Thomas, a graduate of Iowa State University, came to California with his family in 1986 and worked as a purchasing manager most of his adult life. His abiding interest in the Lewis and Clark expedition was piqued by a small book about Sacagewea, but he found that most of books on the subject were informative but a bit dry. He decided to write about the expedition using facts from the journals but fictionalizing the explorers’ conversations in order to make the story more interesting.

When:

Sunday, August 25; 1:30–3PM

Where:

Reuben H. Fleet Science Center

Cost:

Free with admission to the Science Center galleries.

5)

Science at the Fleet and To Go––The Fleet Outreach Team Has New Wheels, Thanks to the Generosity of LAS PATRONAS and MOSSY TOYOTA! Education is a Crucial Component of the Fleet’s Mission––100,000 Kids a Year Can Vouch for That Fact!

What:

The Fleet has new wheels for delivering exciting science programs to our local communities, thanks to Las Patronas and Mossy Toyota. Their generosity will help strengthen our STEM support to schools throughout our region. Watch for the Fleet's new Toyota Highlander Hybrid in your neighborhood. Thank you, Las Patronas and Mossy Toyota!

Schools and groups can visit the Science Center for a field trip, with a guided tour, IMAX film or a workshop on a variety of science topics. Or, we can come to you, with Science Station Investigation programs and Family Science Nights (large-group assembly programs), as well as Science To Go outreach programs at your school for a class (up to 34) or at a booth at festivals. The Fleet offers regularly scheduled classes, outreach programs, workshops, camps, Young Scientists programs for preschoolers, Saturday Science Club for Girls and even hands-on science-based activities for birthday parties and private events! Our educators reached over 117,000 students last year, between visits to the Fleet and Science To Go programs out at schools. We provided professional development workshops for about 1,000 teachers last school year, with the most recent being our Fleet Inquiry Institute summer workshops. Schools can begin booking Dome Theater shows for the upcoming school year beginning August 19.

Balloon Cars? Sail-Powered Land Vehicles? Random Motion Generators? Learn All About WIND POWER at FAMILY SCIENCE SATURDAYS in August!

What:

Tinkering Studio Coordinators challenge you to dream up, draw and create your most outrageous wind-driven device, challenging the entire family to play and learn together. The wide variety of possible devices provides an opportunity to investigate the mechanics of air movement and learn how wind power contributes to the production of energy and the advancement of new technologies. The last Saturday of each month, Challenge Saturday, culminates in a visitor contest to create amazing vehicles for a wind-powered race and to write essays on the creative new uses of wind power for the future.

When:

Saturday, August 24 & 31; 1PM–3PM

Where:

Reuben H. Fleet Science Center Tinkering Studio

Cost:

Activities included with admission.

2)

Giant AirZookas! Windtunnels! Demo Tables! Character Gates! Some of our Favorite Things Will be Out in the Galleries as We Celebrate National GRANDPARENTS DAY with FREE ADMISSION on SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, brought to you by Our Friends at SCHOLARSHARE!

What:

ScholarShare has generously sponsored many of our recent public programs–and some of their cool exhibits will be out on September 9 for National Grandparents Day! Check out our new Giant AirZooka (an air cannon!), the Windtunnel and Demonstration Tables, or take a great “career day” photo in our fun character cutouts! Come on down to the Fleet and join us for hands-on science fun as grandparents and their grandkids celebrate together. FREE admission to the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center’s exhibit galleries is brought to you by the ScholarShare College Savings Plan. Grandkids are invited to bring their grandparents to the Fleet for a day of in our eight interactive exhibit galleries, including On the Fly: Technology Takes Off, the new and gloriously restored Block Busters! and the Tinkering Studio!

.

When:

Sunday, September 8

Where:

Reuben H. Fleet Science Center

Cost:

Grandparents and Grandchildren can pick up their free exhibit gallery pass at the ticket counter upon arrival.

Grandparents Day is brought to you by ScholarShare College Savings Plan

Cosmic Collisions––A spectacular immersive theater experience, narrated by award-winning actor, director and producer Robert Redford. Featuring stunning images from space and breathtaking visualizations based on cutting-edge scientific data—revealing the unimaginable, explosive encounters that shaped our solar system, changed the course of life on Earth and continue to transform our galaxy and dynamic universe.

IMAX® FILMS:

Rocky Mountain Express propels audiences on a steam train journey through the breathtaking vistas of the Canadian Rockies and highlights the adventure of building a nearly impossible transcontinental railway. Spectacular IMAX aerial cinematography, archival photographs and maps, and the potent energy and rhythms of a live steam locomotive immerse audiences in this remarkable story form the age of steam.

Flight of the Butterflies—The iconic monarch butterfly is a true marvel of nature. It weighs less than a penny, yet it makes one of the longest migrations on Earth across a continent, with pinpoint navigational accuracy, to a secluded place it has never been. You’ll join the monarchs' perilous and extraordinary journey while following an intrepid scientist’s 40-year search to find the monarchs’ secret hideaway. Featuring breathtaking cinematography, an award-winning production team, a true scientific mystery, and hundreds of millions of real butterflies, Flight of the Butterflies soars on the giant IMAX® Dome screen.

To The Arctic—An extraordinary journey to the top of the world, a compelling tale of survival, with global implications. A mother polar bear and her two seven-month-old cubs navigate the changing Arctic wilderness they call home. Captivating, adventurous, and intimate footage of their struggle to survive in a frigid environment of melting ice, immense glaciers, spectacular waterfalls, and majestic snow-bound peaks. Narrated by Oscar® winner Meryl Streep, audiences are transported to one of the most remote and spectacularly beautiful places in the world and experience an emotional story of love, family and hope. To The Arctic is now available En Español on the headsets, channel 3.

FLEET 40TH ANNIVERSARY FAN FAVE FILM FESTIVAL:

August 9–15—Everest. The dramatic true story of a team of climbers who found hope, strength and triumph in the wake of tragedy on the world’s highest mountain.

August 16–22—Coral Reef Adventure. Soar over the volcanic peaks of Tahiti, dive 350 feet to explore deep corals off the shore of Fiji and swim among hundreds of sharks in the canyons of the Rangiroa atoll.

August 23–29—Lewis & Clark: Great Journey West. The journey that shaped a nation is re-created in this film, which depicts the great hardships and incredible scenery the explorers encountered.

August 30–September 5—Grand Canyon Adventure. Travel deep into the Grand Canyon on a 15-day river-rafting trip. Your pulse will quicken as you join this thrilling ride downriver through raging rapids and breathtaking canyons.

If you would like complimentary media tickets to visit the exhibitions or see an IMAX film or Planetarium show, please contact Susan Chicoine directly with your request: schicoine@rhfleet.org or (619) 685-5743 or (619) 325-9416/cell. Let me know what date works for you and how many you need, and I will leave passes at the will-call window in your name.

AUGUST 30—30th Anniversary of the First African American in Space, Astronaut Guion “Guy” Buford

SEPTEMBER––No Senior Monday lecture due to Labor Day holiday

SEPTEMBER 4—Origami with Bruce Gemmell. The traditional art of paper folding has evolved into a venerable modern art form with solid foundations in math and science. A flat sheet of material is transformed into a finished sculpture through folding and sculpting techniques. Tinkering Studio Coordinator Gemmell has taught architecture both in the US and abroad. This event will be held the first Wednesday of each month. 4PM–7PM. Participation is included with gallery admission.

SEPTEMBER 4––The Sky Tonight: Constellations of the Southern Sky. Did you know that there are constellations that cannot be seen from San Diego? Some constellations can only be seen from the southern hemisphere of the Earth. Join us in September to learn about the constellations of the southern sky. Our popular monthly live planetarium show of the sky in SD that night reaches a new level of stunning full-color visuals and incredibly realistic simulations of cosmic phenomena with our new state-of-the-art digital GSX™ projection system. A professional astronomer leads backyard stargazers through the universe. Weather and operational requirement permitting, the SD County Astronomy Association provides free telescope viewing outdoors on the Prado in Balboa Park. This is a separate event held on the first Wednesday of each month. 7PM & 8:15PM

SEPTEMBER 7/14/21/28—Family Science Saturdays––Bridges. Tinkering Studio Coordinator Bruce Gemmell is an architect who will share his knowledge of building bridges. Learn the fascinating history and nature of bridges, the integral concepts underlying their construction, and the various types of bridges in common uses today. Challenge Saturday, the last Saturday of each month, will culminate in two visitor contests––build bridges to cross our challenging chasm––first an ultimate strength challenge to see whose bridge will support the most weight, second to explore the ratio of strength to load-bearing capability, or whose bridge can support the most times its own weight. Activities included with admission. 1PM–3PM

SEPTEMBER 8—Grandparents Day sponsored by ScholarShare. Free admission for grandparents and their grandchildren

SEPTEMBER 8—Astronomy Event: Conjunction of Moon and Venus; Conjunction of Venus and Saturn

SEPTEMBER 12–OCTOBER 6––Young Scientists session 1 “Exploring Earth” will delve into Landforms, Geology Rocks!, Water Wonders and Awesome Animals. Preschoolers age 3–5 (and a parent) explore the scientific wonders of the world through experimentation, investigation and scientific questioning. Four 4-week sessions run monthly. Limited to eight students per class. Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday morning. 9AM–10:30AM. Members $75, non-members $85. See more at: http://www.rhfleet.org/events/young-scientists#sthash.EJgA3PcG.dpuf

SEPTEMBER 14—Saturday Science Club for Girls: PicoCrickets. Program and design your own PicoCricket! PicoCrickets combine science, art, and technology to build gadgets that light up, spin, make music and even purr! Girls in grades 5–8 can join the Fleet on the second Saturday of each month to investigate exciting science topics. 12 noon–2PM; Members $12, nonmembers $14; must pre-register by calling (619) 238-1233 x806.

SEPTEMBER 15—IMAX® en Español––To the Arctic. An extraordinary journey to the top of the world, this ultimate tale of survival film takes audiences on a never-before-experienced journey into the lives of a mother polar bear and her two seven-month-old cubs as they navigate the changing Arctic wilderness they call home. Captivating, adventurous, and intimate footage brings moviegoers up close and personal with this family’s struggle to survive in a frigid environment of melting ice, immense glaciers, spectacular waterfalls, and majestic snow-bound peaks. IMAX en Español is an opportunity for you and your family to enjoy IMAX films in Spanish. Additionally, headsets are always available free of charge for audiences to listen to available Spanish soundtracks when films with English soundtracks play. Admission includes one film and the Fleet’s exhibit galleries, which feature more than 100 hands-on exhibits for all ages. Many of our exhibits feature bilingual explanatory text. 4PM.

About the Fleet Science Center

The Fleet Science Center connects people of all ages to the possibilities and power of science to create a better future. At the science center, you can explore and investigate more than 100 interactive exhibits that pique your curiosity and become immersed in an IMAX film adventure that shows the wonders of the planet--and beyond--in the Eugene Heikoff and Marilyn Jacobs Heikoff Giant Dome Theater. For young science enthusiasts, the Fleet hosts school field trips, science workshops and educational camps. For adults, we offer events like Fleet Night of Science and community events, such as Two Scientists Walk Into a Bar. In the community, we also provide free neighborhood science events weekly through 52 Weeks of Science. Teachers are encouraged to join our Teacher Partner Program and take advantage of our professional development opportunities. Additionally, at the Fleet Science Center, visitors will find unique educational toys and games, books, IMAX DVDs and more in the North Star Science Store, and pizzas, sandwiches, salads and healthy treats in Craveology. Located in Balboa Park, at 1875 El Prado, two blocks south of the San Diego Zoo on Park Blvd., the Fleet is San Diego's science center. Science starts here and opens a world of possibility.For information regarding current admission prices, please call (619) 238-1233 or visit our website at fleetscience.org.